This is mainly interesting as an example of an early Hepburn role. In her later roles I've admired her immensely without much liking her. Here I could almost say the opposite - I liked her without much admiring her. She is very fetching in the role but there's little to indicate that here is the actress who will win the greatest number of Oscars ever awarded.
The same could be said about the movie itself. It's likable but not much to be admired. The plot made no sense to me at all. How come in a small Scottish village a woman who'd been the ward of the local laird since she was a little girl and was now his fiancée could wander around without anyone recognizing her? And what in earth did she see in the new minister? He didn't seem the sort of man she'd fall for at all. As another reviewer has remarked, it would be difficult to visualize her taking an enthusiastic part in the meetings of the Auld Licht.
As the film got near to its final denouement, I was virtually screaming at the TV "Just ask her to marry you and tell them you're engaged!" Of course that would have meant dumping the laird, but she didn't seem to have too much trouble in doing that in the end anyway.
Afternote:
In spite of my reservations about this movie, I was intrigued to know why there were so many film and TV versions of the story. This led me to read both Barrie's original novel and the later play. The Hepburn version is based mainly on the novel, and reading it makes a lot more sense of the plot. The novel was extremely popular when first published, and it's still a very good read if you're into that sort of thing.
Barrie at first didn't turn the novel into a play because he didn't think there was any actress alive who could do justice to the character of Babbie, the "Egyptian". That was until he saw the American actress Maude Adams. He wrote the play specifically for her and it made her the most popular actress on the American stage. In the play the plot is considerably changed: Babbie is no longer a genuine gypsy who was made a ward of Lord Rintoul to whom she is now engaged. She is Lord Rintoul's daughter, Lady Barbara, and she is only playing at being a gypsy. Her father wants her to marry Captain Halliwell.
I think it would have suited Hepburn more if the movie had followed the stage version instead of the novel. The play is a comedy while the novel is more of a serious romance. The movie somehow manages to pitch itself rather uneasily between the two.
The same could be said about the movie itself. It's likable but not much to be admired. The plot made no sense to me at all. How come in a small Scottish village a woman who'd been the ward of the local laird since she was a little girl and was now his fiancée could wander around without anyone recognizing her? And what in earth did she see in the new minister? He didn't seem the sort of man she'd fall for at all. As another reviewer has remarked, it would be difficult to visualize her taking an enthusiastic part in the meetings of the Auld Licht.
As the film got near to its final denouement, I was virtually screaming at the TV "Just ask her to marry you and tell them you're engaged!" Of course that would have meant dumping the laird, but she didn't seem to have too much trouble in doing that in the end anyway.
Afternote:
In spite of my reservations about this movie, I was intrigued to know why there were so many film and TV versions of the story. This led me to read both Barrie's original novel and the later play. The Hepburn version is based mainly on the novel, and reading it makes a lot more sense of the plot. The novel was extremely popular when first published, and it's still a very good read if you're into that sort of thing.
Barrie at first didn't turn the novel into a play because he didn't think there was any actress alive who could do justice to the character of Babbie, the "Egyptian". That was until he saw the American actress Maude Adams. He wrote the play specifically for her and it made her the most popular actress on the American stage. In the play the plot is considerably changed: Babbie is no longer a genuine gypsy who was made a ward of Lord Rintoul to whom she is now engaged. She is Lord Rintoul's daughter, Lady Barbara, and she is only playing at being a gypsy. Her father wants her to marry Captain Halliwell.
I think it would have suited Hepburn more if the movie had followed the stage version instead of the novel. The play is a comedy while the novel is more of a serious romance. The movie somehow manages to pitch itself rather uneasily between the two.